Brevis, Markram Smash SA20 Auction Records Ahead of 2025-26 Season

Brevis, Markram Smash SA20 Auction Records Ahead of 2025-26 Season

South Africa's T20 prodigy Dewald Brevis and national T20I captain Aiden Markram set the SA20 auction ablaze on Monday, securing record-breaking deals ahead of the league’s 2025-26 season.

Brevis, who holds the record for the highest individual T20I score for South Africa, was signed by Pretoria Capitals for a staggering R16.5 million (approx US$945,000), making him the most expensive player in SA20 history.

The bidding war for Brevis began with Joburg Super Kings (JSK) and quickly escalated past the R10 million mark, at which point Paarl Royals (PR)—with a limited purse—were forced out. Capitals then entered the fray and outbid JSK at the final moment, using over half of their R32.5 million budget to land the 22-year-old star.

Just minutes earlier, Markram briefly held the record himself when he was acquired by Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) for R14 million (approx US$800,000). Markram was contested by both DSG and Pretoria Capitals before Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC), his former team and reigning champions, exercised their right-to-match card at R12.4 million. However, DSG raised their bid, and SEC declined to match again, parting ways with their two-time title-winning skipper.

Sunrisers Rebuild Without Markram

SEC now move forward without Markram or a high-profile captain. Instead, Tristan Stubbs, the only player they retained, has been named captain. The team bolstered its roster by signing Matthew Breetzke for R6.1 million and veteran Quinton de Kock for a modest R2.4 million.

In a major coup, they also acquired Anrich Nortje for R5 million to partner Marco Jansen in what could be one of the most dangerous bowling attacks this season. Other additions include Lutho Sipamla, Patrick Kruger, Senuran Muthusamy, and Englishmen Chris Wood, Lewis Gregory, and James Coles.

MI Cape Town Bank on Continuity

MI Cape Town (MICT) entered the auction with the smallest purse (R11.5 million) and opted for consistency. They re-signed Rassie van der Dussen for R5.2 million and landed Reeza Hendricks for a bargain R500,000. Their squad bears close resemblance to last season’s, with Dane Piedt and Tristan Luus also retained.

Major Moves for Pretoria and Durban

Pretoria Capitals had a headline day, adding Lungi Ngidi, Saqib Mahmood, Lizaad Williams, and Craig Overton alongside Brevis. They also brought back veteran spinner Imran Tahir and grabbed Reece Topley and offspinner Prenalen Subrayen, whose action was recently cleared.

Durban Super Giants, meanwhile, put together a well-rounded squad with fast bowlers Gerald Coetzee (R7.4 million), Kwena Maphaka, and allrounder Eathan Bosch. They strengthened their batting with Test regulars David Bedingham and Tony de Zorzi, and added spin options Noor Ahmed, Sunil Narine, and Taijul Islam.

Royals and Super Kings Left Scrambling

The auction proved more difficult for Paarl Royals and Joburg Super Kings, who entered the accelerated rounds with the most spots still unfilled and the least budget remaining. PR had just R3.18 million left to fill eight spots, while JSK had R3.6 million for nine.

Royals’ most expensive signing was Kyle Verreynne at R2.3 million, and they also picked up Ottneil Baartman and Gudakesh Motie, opting for bowlers suited to Paarl’s slow and low pitch. However, they missed out on frontline quicks like Ngidi and Maphaka.

JSK made a splash with the R9 million purchase of allrounder Wiaan Mulder and retained Nandre Burger for R6.3 million. Burger, recovering from injury, is expected to lead the bowling attack at the Wanderers.

Notable Unsold Players

Several high-profile names failed to attract bids, including:

  • Andile Phehlukwayo

  • Junior Dala

  • Mustafizur Rahman

  • Kusal Perera

  • Jayden Seales

  • Jimmy Anderson

  • Moeen Ali

SA20 2025-26: Auction Records Broken

  • Most Expensive Player: Dewald Brevis – R16.5 million (Pretoria Capitals)

  • Second Most Expensive: Aiden Markram – R14 million (Durban’s Super Giants)

  • Top Fast Bowler Buy: Gerald Coetzee – R7.4 million (Durban’s Super Giants)

As franchises finalise their squads, the fourth edition of SA20 promises intense rivalries, rising young stars, and a level of financial firepower never seen before in South African domestic cricket.

Quick Squad Highlights:

  • Pretoria Capitals: Brevis, Ngidi, Overton, Topley, Tahir

  • Durban Super Giants: Markram, Coetzee, Maphaka, de Zorzi, Taijul

  • Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Stubbs (capt), Nortje, Jansen, Breetzke, de Kock

  • MI Cape Town: van der Dussen, Hendricks, Luus, Piedt

  • Joburg Super Kings: Mulder, Burger, Tahir (retained)

  • Paarl Royals: Verreynne, Motie, Baartman, Viljoen

The season opener is expected in early January 2026.